U.S. falls to Brazil to remain gold-less

The U.S. hasn't won a gold medal in basketball since 1983.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Basketball and baseball, the most American of games -- except at the Pan American Games.
At least the U.S. baseball squad still has a chance at a gold medal despite a 3-0 loss to Nicaragua on Tuesday, just 13 hours after an emotional win against the host nation.
For the fifth straight Pan American Games, the U.S. men will not get a gold medal in basketball. Not since Michael Jordan led the 1983 team to the title has the United States won the championship, and Brazil made sure the Americans would be in the bronze medal game by beating them 92-80 in the semifinals.
Brazil pulls away
Brazil's veterans, who will play the Dominican Republic in tonight's final, pulled away in the fourth quarter against the American collegians, who have been together for only 18 days. Brazil outscored the Americans 28-17 in the final period, including a 13-0 run.
"I think we played well for 31/2 quarters, but we didn't close it out," coach Tom Izzo of Michigan State said. "We got what we deserved, and they got what they deserved."
Emeka Okafor of Connecticut led the Americans with 18 points. Chuck Hayes of Kentucky had 15 points and 13 rebounds.
"We didn't execute," Okafor said. "They made it very difficult down the stretch and we did not respond. It's tough, because we played so well, but you can have one bad quarter and lose the game."
Will play Puerto Rico
The Americans will play Puerto Rico, which beat them in the first round, for the bronze medal. The Dominicans beat the Puerto Ricans 79-65 in the other semifinal.
The baseball team had won 25 straight games this summer, but ran into Nicaragua's superb pitching. The Nicaraguans no-hit Guatemala the previous day, and Olman Rostran threw a four-hitter against the United States.
"We are disappointed," manager Ray Tanner of South Carolina said, "but I am proud of our guys' streak and the way they've approached the game."
The Americans will advance to the quarterfinals, however. So will Cuba, even though it was upset 7-1 by Mexico.
Despite the problems for the basketball and baseball teams, it hardly was a lost day for the United States. There was a stunning upset of Cuba in fencing, a strong night by the women gymnasts and wrestlers, and a solid effort by the women's basketball squad on the busiest day of the games.
U.S. leads in medals
Through four days, the United States leads with 22 gold medals and 47 overall. Cuba has 18 gold and 32 overall.
The U.S. men's foil team scored the first team win in 32 years over the Cubans at the Pan Ams. The fencers trailed 40-30 entering the last match, which Dan Kellner of Warren, N.J., won 15-4, setting off a celebration long in the making.
Gymnast Chellsie Memmel, 15, of West Allis, Wis., became the only American with three gold medals when she won the uneven bars. Memmel also won the all-around and the team event.
Teammate Nastia Liukin, 13, of Plano, Texas, won the balance beam, with Memmel getting bronze. Tia Orlando of Macungie, Pa., the last performer, won the floor exercise.
Lopez wins four
Still, the day's star in the gym was Cuba's Eric Lopez. He won all four events he entered Tuesday, giving him six gold medals in these games and 18 for his career. Lopez previously won the all-around title and the team gold, and added wins in pommel horse, rings, vault and parallel bars.
Now he sets his sight on Athens; Lopez has yet to win an Olympic medal.
In women's freestyle wrestling, the U.S. team was 4-for-4. The gold medalists were three wrestlers from Colorado Springs -- Patricia Miranda at 1051/2 pounds, Tina George at 121, and Sara McMann at 1383/4 -- and Toccara Montgomery of Cleveland won at 1581/2.
Two more U.S. gold medals came in track and field.
Hoffa sets mark
Reese Hoffa of Athens, Ga., set a games record with a shot put of 68 feet, 3-4 inches. Then Aretha Hill of Opalika, Ala., won the women's discus at 207-8.
America's shooting team collected two more gold medals, by Daryl Szarenski of Saginaw, Mich., in men's 50-meter pistol, and 1996 Olympic champion Kim Rhode of El Monte, Ark., in women's double trap.
In women's basketball, the improving U.S. collegians beat Argentina 93-78 to advance to the medals round. Rebekkah Brunson of Georgetown and Loree Moore of Tennessee each had 12 points for the United States (3-1).